Brush scraper



July 12, 1966 A. CORTINA 3,260,401

BRUSH SCRAPER Filed Jan. 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A N THONY C ORT/NA BY W AM NEY A. CORTINA BRUSH SCRAPER July 12, 1966 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 51, 1964 INVENTOR ANTHON Y CORT/NA BY M D W A ORNEY United States Patent 3,260,401 BRUSH SCRAPER Anthony Cortina, 56 Huntington St., New London, (Ionn. Filed .Ian. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 341,678 1 Claim. (CI. 22tl-90) My invention relates to brush scraper for quick scraping or ultimate squeezing of a brush, such as a paint brush, for removal of excess to prevent dripping of the paint while the paint is being used, or in a modified form my scraper is useful to squeeze all of the fluid paint from the surface of the brush bristles, and my scraper may support the brush when in use.

In primary aspect, my invention comprises a scraper blade mounted with its scraping edge as a chord subtending a small area or an open paint can whereby scraping from the edge thereof allows the liquid paint to drip back into the open can container or paint pail. For this purpose the blade and its scraper edge is mounted and supported from an edge, vertically across the container opening. The invention contemplates use of the blade only with containers having a deep cover receiving groove disposed annularly inward of the upper edge which frictionally receives and retains a cover of the type which has a resilient annular tongue depending from its annular edge cooperative with said groove, and firmly frictionally retained therein as a covered paint container. The scraper blade hereof has support means comprising clamping elements which are shaped and adapted to lie within and cooperate with said groove for stable vertical support of the scraper blade.

While in one modification the support may be cooperative with tongues at opposite ends of the plate comprising said blade, each fitted within said groove, additional bracing means may extend from the center of the blade normal to the plane of the scraper blade to the center arch of the groove, providing additional central bracing support of the blade.

The scraper blade is shaped to extend at one side intermediate to the ends and positioned above the container opening a vertical edge into which the horizontal edge is rounded or faired to provide simultaneous scraping means for both the side and an edge of the brush whereby, for removal of excess paint, the brush may be scraped on a side while simultaneously scraping an edge; then, by inverting the brush, an opposite side and edge can be scraped in the second movement.

In a modification, a cooperative scraping blade is mounted, to vertically slide above the lower scraping edge as a guillotine, whereby the brush may simultaneously be squeezed between both sides and edges by angular scraper and guillotine edges for expulsion of maximum quantities of paint when the painting operation has been terminated, the scraping effect being applied with manual pressure upon the guillotine and thence upon the brush.

The support of the scraper blade vertically above the container opening for allowing the drip back into the container or expelled paint liquids further provides a base into which may be fastened a brush holder for holding and supporting a brush above the open container most handily.

Other benefits may be inherent in the description and illustrations comprising the several drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an elevation of one surface of a scraper blade;

3,260,461 Patented July 12, 1966 FIG. 2 shows the opposite face of the blade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail illustrating in plan the manner of mounting of the blade of FIG. 1 and 2 within the groove of a paint can;

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form of the scraper blade to include further bracing means for support thereof;

FIG. 5 is a detail illustrating the additional operation of the clamping means of FIG. 4 in the container groove;

FIG. 6 is still another modification similar to FIG. 4 with additional but modified clamping means for cooperation with the groove of the container;

FIG. 7 is a detail illustrating the manner of cooperation of the additional clamping means of FIG. 6 with the groove of the container;

FIG. 8 is a modified form of a scraper blade in which the scraper edge is supported diagonally;

FIG. 9 is a modified form having clamping means like FIG. 4 but which has its scraper edge in a U-shape coop erative with a guillotine blade for squeezing the brush; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the brush squeezing device of FIG. 9.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the scraper blade in simplest form comprises a blade body 10 having a horizontally supported scraper edge 12 and a side edge 14 disposed between vertical and slightly diagonal positions for scraping the side edge of the brush, joining the horizontal edge 12 by a curved edge 16. Disposed at each outer end of the plate 10 is a pair of outer vertical tongues 18a and 18b sized to fit within a standard width of a cover fastening groove 20 formed between an inner apron 22, carried by the wall 24 of a conventional paint container, and an upstanding lip 26 completing the inner wall of the groove 20. The tongues 18a and 18b are separated from the plate by a groove 28 sized in width and depth to receive the inner wall 26 of the groove 20 of the container. The plate further has a lower substantially horizontal wing member 30 upturned from the lower plate edge adjacent to one of the grooves 28 to form a horizontal bracing element.

In the use of the modification of FIGS. 1 and 2, and as further shown in detail in FIG. 3, the scraper blade 10 is mounted as a chord across a small sector of the open paint container, with the tongues 18a and 18b positioned for entry within intercepted vertical portions of the groove 20 as subtended by the ends of the plate 10. The tongue 18!) adjacent to the bracing wing 30 is placed in the groove 20 of the container so that the cooperative groove 28 straddles the upper container wall or lip 27, the plate at first extending diametrically toward the center of the open paint container. The opposite blade supporting tongue 18a is then drawn toward the container edge, the subtended arc of the groove 20, until the tongue 18b can be inserted into the groove 20, thus completing the chord across the small intercepted segment of the container opening. At that position and upon inserting the tongue 18a, the outer end 31 of the bracing wing 30 bears with substantial bracing pressure against the upturned wall 26, the wall 26 and lip 27 of the container being trapped and wedged within the groove 20 between the tongue 18a and wing 30, to supply a rigidifying bracing effect to the plate assembled and locked in that gripping position by the opposite tongue 18b in the opposite subtended portion of the groove 20.

In that position the plate is supported with its body vertically disposed substantially across the container, sufficiently rigid for practical brush scraping use purposes. The wet brush will be used first by scraping a side against the vertical scraping edge 12 and simultaneously its end against curved edge portion 16 and diagonal edge portion 14. The brush is then inverted to the opposite side and the scraping procedure repeated, both scraping movements being applied each time the brush has been dipped in the bath, thereby removing excess paint intermediate to each dipping and brushing operation. The curved edge 16 and diagonal portion 14, it will be noted, serve to scrape the entire rounded edge portion of the brush while still being capable of accommodating brushes somewhat variable in size and thickness.

A modified form is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein a bracing element 32, comprising a horizontal strap, is attached to or formed integrally with the center of the plate 10, extending normal thereto to the container edge for bracing the center portion of the plate, the strap thus extending a distance sutficient to meet the groove 20, and to allow an outer gripping portion 34 to intersect, lie within the center arcuate portion of the groove 20 and frictionally secure the strap end therein. The gripping portion 34 of somewhat resilient metal as shown in FIG. 5 lies within the groove 20 bracing resiliently against its confining walls, the outer apron 22 and the inner wall 26, and is frictionally fixed therein, firmly bracing the strap 32 and the blade attached thereto. Thus, as illustrated in the modified form of FIGS. 4 and 5, a scraper blade is provided having a centrally disposed brace so that the blade then becomes supported by three bracing elements as a tripod, tongues 18a and 18b and the folded spring-like clamping or frictionally gripping means 34 each lying within the arcuate groove and cooperatively supporting the scraper blade 10 is vertical operative position.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the blade 10 has a bracing arm 36 cut from the plate 10 center and bent normal thereto as a bracing arm 36. The outer end of the bracing arm 36 has a tongue 38 and groove 28 which fits into the groove 20 for support as the third leg or tongue similar to tongues 18a and 18b, the tongue 38 fitting within the groove 20 as illustrated in FIG. 7. The groove 28 again may be sized to frictionally receive the inner wall portion 26 of the groove 20 for frictionally firm support of that leg.

In FIG. 8 is illustrated a form similar to FIGS. 1 through 3 for support means, but the blade 10 thereof is modified to provide a brush side scraping edge 40, and a brush end scraping edge 42, both joined by a curved edge 44. In this modification the blade itself is supported as described within groove 20 of the receptacle by side tongues 18a and 18b braced by a wing bracing element 30, or it may be braced in the manner described for FIGS. 4 through 7 inclusive. An advantage of the modification of FIG. 8 is that substantially equal scraping pressure may be applied on both end and side surfaces of the brush to scrape excess liquid therefrom. Moreover, the diagonal cant of the side scraping edge 40 and substantially vertical disposal of the end scraper edge has the joining curve groove disposed therebetween such that much brush scraping pressure is against such curve or groove in addition to application of even scraping pressure applicable to sides of the brush. Hence, this modification allows somewhat wider flexibility for use with different sized brushes than is available with other scraper edge angles shown.

In a further modification shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a scraper comprising a main blade 10 has a scraper groove formed with sides 46 and 48 each rising symmetrically diagonally upward in opposite directions to form a modified U-shaped groove, each arm rising from the center of the plate joined together by a rounded or curved bottom scraper edge portion 50. The plate may be mounted to the open paint container through tongues 18a and 18b,

cooperative for bracing with a clamping support 34, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, or other support means shown will be equally useful; for instance, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 or FIGS. 6 and 7. The body of the blade 10 has a pair of wing brackets 52 and 54 cut inward from an edge and bent to form a sliding slot between outer bracket edge 55 and the surface of the blade 10. A vertically slidable guillotine squeezing element comprising a plate 58 is provided with squeezing legs 60 and 62, each having an outer edge 64 and 66, dimensioned to fit in the groove 55 formed by the wing brackets 52 and 54, whereby the plate 58 may reciprocate vertically in the grooves 55 of the brackets 52 and 54. The inner edges of the legs 60 and 62 are cut vertically diagonal to correspond each a respective scraping surface 46 and 48, whereby the scraping surface 68 of leg 60 is at approximately the same angle as the scraping surface 46, and the scraping surface 70 of leg 62 is approximately the same angle as the surface 48. Thus, there are provided four complimentary scraping edges 46, 48, and 68 and 70 between stationary blade 10 and guillotine blade 58.

As shown in FIG. 10 with the blade 10 mounted in the position of use across the opening of a paint container 24, a brush may be inserted in the center opening 72 formed between the four scraping surfaces with the guillotine blade 58 lifted, making the opening 72 widest to receive the brush, and the guillotine blade 58 is then squeezed downward upon the brush while the brush is pulled backward in a scraping motion against the four scraping edges 48, 46, 68 and 70 so that the paint may be forceably squeezed out of the bristles by the applied manual pressure thereon. For manual manipulation, the guillotine blade 58 may be cut with a pair of finger gripping shoulders 74 formed adjacent each upper end as desired.

It is convenient to support the brush above the open container temporarily while it is not in immediate use, and for this purpose, the scraper blade 10 cooperates quite handily through its upper edge scraping shoulder portion 76. Inasmuch as that shoulder portion can extend variable heights for the purpose of supporting a vertical to diagonal scraping edge 14 or 40, one or more elongated slots or perforations 78 are usefully cut therein to support one end of a brush holder 80. As shown in FIG. 8, the brush holder 80 comprises metal plate stock at one inner end 82 which can be inserted in sliding fit within a correspondingly sized slot or perforation 78. The outer end 84 of the holder 89 is curved resiliently to clampingly support the widened end of a brush handle. A similar type brush holder 86 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. It is slightly modified in that the brush holder stock is of resilient wire and the inner holder end 88 comprises the wire stock bent into a U-shape, which allows the end 88 to be inserted within a slot 78 with spring olamping support thereof. Thus, the brush may be supported in any selected perforation or slots 78 by a brush holder disposed at any selected height, cooperative with the scraper blade for temporary support in use.

Certain modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and, accordingly, it is intended that the above-description be regarded as exemplary and not limiting except as defined in the claim appended hereto.

I claim:

A brush scraping blade having two diagonally disposed scraping edges curved to join each other each in a rounded edge angle about intermediate horizontal and vertical, a guillotine scraping blade having correspondingly angular scraping edges and inner curved joining edge inverted with respect to the first pair of scraping edges, bracketing members one at each opposite side edge of a scraping blade having a sliding groove adapted to sliding ly receive an outer edge of the other blade in vertical reciprocating movement of one blade with respect to the other, the combined reciprocating blades forming a brush receiving opening therebetween, whereby a brush disposed therein will be scraped and squeezed between the four cooperating diagonal blade edges upon reciprocation, and means for supporting the lower plate across the open top of a container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 124,928 3/ 1872 Bailey 2090 541,224 6/1895 Clarke 15-257.05 557,118 3/1896 Ellis 1S257.05 1,575,416 3/1926 Deman 248110 1,838,490 12/1931 Lerum 15257.05

R-osenberger 248-110 Bock 220-90 Dominik 206-15.1 Dane r 22090 Monier 220-90 Heise 22090 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

10 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

R. H. SCHWARTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

